PORTION CONTROL:

Just knowing what a serving or portion...

July 20, 1999

PORTION CONTROL: Just knowing what a serving or portion size is can help you stick to a serious diet. Here are some amounts that constitute one serving of various foods: a medium banana, apple or orange; a slice of bread; half a cup of cooked rice or pasta or the same amount of chopped fruit.

LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH: The leading causes of death for women, according to a Newsweek special on health, are heart disease, cancer, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, pneumonia and influenza, diabetes and unintentional injuries. Among the cancers, lung and bronchus lead, followed by breast.

GETTING OLDER AND FATTER: The proportion of elderly obese people in this country, Newsweek reports in the same special issue, has grown from 14 percent in the 1960s to nearly 23 percent today. Women are slightly more susceptible than men, say researchers, with the trend holding true for all racial and ethnic groups.